Medicine dropper construction



Nov. 2, 1965 J. M. MITCHELL 3,215,171

MEDICINE DROPPER CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 19, 1962 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,215,171 MEDICINE DROPPER CONSTRUCTION Joseph M. Mitchell, Barmar Products Co., High St., Clinton, Mass. Filed Sept. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 224,666 4 Claims. (Cl. 141-24 This invention relates to a new and improved medicine dropper or the like, and the principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a simple one-piece blow molded medicine dropper which comprises a relatively rigid elongated barrel or tube for containing the material to be dispensed, and an integral flexible bellows construction, whereby the device is easily and inexpensively molded.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of the one-piece blow molded medicine dropper as above described including integrally molded means thereon for the mechanical connection thereto of a bottle cap in which flash-is provided in the molding of the cap which acts as a fluid seal about the tube.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a medicine dropper as above described including an indentation therein adjacent the bellows thereof, said indentation being mechanically gripped by means of a cap from a bottle in which the medicine dropper is adapted to be disposed, the cap being provided at a central opening thereof with flash formed in the molding of the cap which acts as a gasket or seal tightly closing the connection between the medicine dropper and cap against the escape of any moisture, etc., while the cap is in place on the bottle.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a modified form of medicine dropper made in two parts one of which is the barrel member which includes finger holds and a flexible bellows member which is adapted to be applied thereto removably but tightly and includes leakproof sealing by means of a special new and improved frictional construction.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a new and improved holder adapted to be attached to the cap of a bottle in order to hold the medicine dropper at the side of the bottle exterior thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- FIG. 1 is a view in elevation illustrating a form of the invention, part being in section;

FIG. 2 is a similar view in elevation but showing the bellows in closed condition;

FIG. 3 is a View similar to FIG. 1 showing the cap attached;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIGS is a plan view of a cap;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the cap;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged section on line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view in elevation partly in section of a modification;

FIG. 9 is a view in elevation showing the device for mounting the medicine dropper on the cap of a bottle; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view of this device separate from the cap.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a onepiece blow molded plastic medicine dropper. This comprises an elongated relatively rigid barrel 10 and a flexible bellows 12. These are integral as shown by the section lines in FIG. 1, the bellows and barrel providing one single unitary member. The barrel 10 is substantially rigid and bellows 12 is flexible and self-sustaining. The bellows can be easily contracted in direction of the arrow in FIG. 1 to exhaust the air so that when released it will return to the FIG. 1 position causing the entrance of fluid at the entrance end of the barrel, this entrance end being identified by the reference 14.

Between the barrel and the bellows there is provided a chamber member 16 and the bellows member is mounted on this. The chamber member 16 is substantially rigid and it forms a base or reaction point for the action of the bellows contracted to the FIG. 2 position.

Just under the chamber 16 there is provided an enlargement 18 for a purpose to be described and this is undercut forming an annular groove 20. Below the annular groove 20 there is an enlarged portion 22 on the barrel 10, the latter being uniform in diameter from end to end except for the enlargement and reduced end 14.

There is a cap 24 which is screw threaded at 26 in the usual way for application to the usual bottle and this cap has central aperture 28. Surrounding the aperture is an annular inwardly directed lip 30 and surrounding this inwardly directed lip there is downwardly directed flange or the like 32. As shown in FIG. 7 the inwardly directed lip 30 may have a narrowing edge 34 which extends again further inwardly.

When the barrel of the medicine dropper is thrust downwardly through the opening in the cap, it is forced over the enlarged portion 22 which is tapered to act as a wedge so that the inwardly directed lip 30 snaps over the largest part of the enlargement 22 onto the reduced groove 20, and the flash then is strongly urged into tight contact with the bottom of the groove 20, forming an impervious seal therewith.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is shown a plastic double ring-like member 36 having a large ring 38 connected to a small ring 40 as by means of a relatively strong neck 42. The larger ring can be disposed over an ordinary cap 44 with ring 40 extending laterally to the side, so that the medicine dropper can be held in the smaller ring as shown in FIG. 9.

A modification of the invention is shown in FIG. 8 where the device is made in two parts, the bellows being separate from the barrel member of the medicine dropper. In this case the construction is similar to that shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 130,291 now Patent No. 3,124,171. However in this case there is a plug or the like 46 which is ribbed as at 48 and when it is thrust into the upper end of portion 50 of the barrel member 52, it is held in position very firmly and without any leakage. At the same time I prefer to provide outstanding members 54 which act as finger holds when the thumb is pressed downwards in the direction of the arrow 56 to evacuate the air in the bellows for easier operation of the dropper.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A medicine dropper construction comprising a onepiece molded plastic barrel and integrally attached bellows, the bellows being flexible and the barrel being relatively rigid and hollow, means forming communication between the bellows and the barrel so that as the bellows is depressed it expresses air from the barrel whereby the latter will receive fluids upon release of the bellows member, the bellows member being located at one end of the barrel and closing the same, the opposite end of the barrel being open, and the bellows being self-sustained and resilient so that it automatically expands upon being released by the operator, an annular indentation adjacent the connection between the barrel and the bellows, and a bottle cap having a central aperture therethrough, said aperture defining a rim receivable in said annular depression for connecting the bottle cap and the medicine dropper together, with the medicine dropper located generally centrally of the cap, said annular depression being formed at one side thereof by an enlargement integrally molded with the barrel, said enlargement being greater in diameter than the diameter of the said rim so that the rim snaps over the enlargement and is substantially permanently seated in said depression.

2. A medicine dropper construction as recited in claim 1 wherein said enlargement is provided at the side thereof away from the depression with a gradually increasing exterior side wall providing a wedge up over which the cap may be forced in order for the rim thereof to snap into said annular depression behind said enlargement.

3. The medicine dropper construction as recited in claim 1 including an annular depression on the barrel, the bottle cap having a central opening therein forming a rim adapted to engage in said annular depression to connect the cap and the medicine dropper together, and means on said rim forming a tight fluid seal in the bottom of the depression between the rim and the bottom of the depression.

4. The medicine dropper construction as recited in claim 1 including means on said rim forming a tight fluid seal in the bottom of the depression between the rim and the bottom of the depression, said last-named means comprising an inwardly directed tapering annular projection.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 214,552 4/79 Connable 128-232 692,708 2/02 Price 222-192 1,267,616 5/18 Abramovitz 128231 2,156,112 4/39 Dykema 141-24 2,687,831 8/54 Miller 285238 X 2,837,128 1/58 Marchant 14124 2,889,089 6/59 Herrick et al 285260 X 3,016,169 1/62 Kirschenbaum 222-492 3,095,009 6/63 Conley 14124 X FOREIGN PATENTS 399,343 10/33 Great Britain.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MEDICINE DROPPER CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A ONEPIECE MOLDED PLASTIC BARREL AND INTEGRALLY ATTACHED BELLOWS, THE BELLOWS BEING FLEXIBLE AND THE BARREL BEING RELATIVELY RIGID AND HOLLOW, MEANS FORMING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE BELLOWS AND THE BARREL SO THAT AS THE BELLOWS IS DEPRESSED IT EXPRESSES AIR FROM THE BARREL WHEREBY THE LATTER WILL RECEIVE FLUIDS UPON RELEASE OF THE BELLOWS MEMBER, THE BELLOWS MEMBER BEING LOCATED AT ONE END OF THE BARREL AND CLOSING THE SME, THE OPPOSITE END OF THE BARREL BEING OPEN, AND THE BELLOWS BEING SELF-SUSTAINED AND RESILIENT SO THAT IT AUTOMATICALLY EXPANDS UPON BEING RELEASED BY THE OPERATOR, AN ANNULAR INDENTATION ADJACENT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BARREL AND THE BELLOWS, AND A BOTTLE CAP HAVING A CENTRAL APERTURE THERETHROUGH, SAID APERTURE DEFINING A RIM RECEIVABLE IN SAID ANNULAR DEPRESSION FOR CONNECTING THE BOTTL CAP AND THE MEDICINE DROPPER TOGETHER, WITH THE MEDICINE DROPPER LOCATED GENERALLY CENTRALLY OF THE CAP, SAID ANNULAR DEPRESSION BEING FORMED AT ONE SIDE THEREOF BY AN ENLARGEMENT INTEGRALLY MOLDED WITH THE BARREL, SAID ENLARGEMENT BEING GREATER IN DIAMETER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE SAID RIM SO THAT THE RIM SNAPS OVER THE ENLARGEMENT AND IS SUBSTANTIALLY PERMANENTLY SEATED IN SAID DEPRESSION. 